Driving Test Cancellations - What iI Causing The Car Parts Shortage?

Deborah Meaden, of Dragon’s Den fame recently posted to her followers on X (formally known as Twitter) a question regarding the waits for car parts:

“ anyone appalled at the lack of car parts causing huge delays in even the most basic of repairs... like brake disc pads? what is causing it?”

The COVID-19 Pandemic

During the pandemic, many vehicle manufacturing factories around the world shut down or slowed production substantially. This has had a massive impact of the general supply and production of all different parts of vehicles including electronics such as microchips (the ‘chip shortage’) as well as body parts and mechanical parts. We are now experiencing a global shortage of vehicle parts as a direct result of this shutdown/slowdown and it’s having an impact across the whole car industry. If you have an accident or your vehicle develops a fault, it might take longer than you expect to get back on the road while waiting for the delivery of parts. The insurance industry has been affected by this and are having to fork out more money for hire cars as a result.

The Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The war in Ukraine has had a severe impact on the supply chain for the automotive industry. Many vehicle manufacturers and suppliers have deferred or completely discontinued trade with Russia whilst the conflict continues – but that comes at a cost. Some manufacturers within Europe rely on Ukraine -based suppliers and the absence of deliveries have force production to be slowed down, paused or stopped completely. Halted production and the resulting shortage of parts were just the beginning. There have since been issues with the supply of raw materials which are essential to the production of so many parts. Many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), including Toyota, Ford, Volvo, Jaguar-Land Rover, General Motors and BMW immediately ceased exporting to Russia, with some of them suspending Russian joint ventures. Russia is a major supplier of key materials and the export sanctions imposed have severely impacted demand and prices as manufacturers seek alternative sources.

Let’s look at some of these things in more detail…

Microchips

We’ve all heard about the so-called ‘chip shortage’ by now. A worldwide shortage of microchips is causing huge issues in the industry. Modern vehicles consist of numerous computer modules all communicating with each other to coordinate the operation of said vehicle. As a result, microchips are required in large quantities. They’re everywhere such as in the parking cameras and sensors, headlight modules - all around the vehicle. The global shortage has greatly slowed the production of new vehicles and pushed up the price of used vehicles.

Vehicle Replacement Parts

As Deborah Meaden has discovered, there are delays in getting other vehicle parts such as brake discs, pads, body panels, doors and engine/transmission components. This is due to the worldwide shortage of plastics, other raw materials and the movement of goods. The ability to get parts is getting harder and harder.

The ‘just-in-time’ delivery used by many companies means that stock is not held locally. Many parts must be ordered in from outside the UK and are then subject to logistics delays. It can sometimes take weeks or in some cases months for parts to be delivered.

There’s Another Shortage...

Driving test appointments. Are you looking to take your driving test but can’t find an available appointment. Since the pandemic, waiting times for test appointments have spiralled out of control. Our Earlier Driving Test service can help you avoid the months long wait by finding you driving test cancellations at your local test centres. Check out our website to find out more.

Published: 31st July 2024